About
Global Footprint Network
Our mission is to promote a sustainable economy by advancing the Ecological
Footprint, a measurement tool that makes the reality of planetary limits
relevant to decision-makers.

Footprint Forum 2006In June, close to two hundred Ecological Footprint practitioners and supporters gathered in and around Siena, Italy for Footprint Forum 2006. The event, co-hosted by the University of Siena, marked the first public conference focused on the Ecological Footprint. It included the launch of the first Ecological Footprint Standards, one of the largest Ecological Footprint training session ever, and marked the first official gathering of Global Footprint Network partners.

In two days of invitation-only partner meetings, representatives from government, business, and non-profit partner organizations from twenty countries gathered to strategize about using the Ecological Footprint as a tool to end global overshoot. They also learned more about each other's work, participated in intense technical sessions, and discussed how the partner network could bring the Ecological Footprint to the next level of influence.

Craig Simmons, Best Foot
Forward, talks about the
power of the Footprint

Terry A'Hearn, EPA Victoria,
talks about how his agency
uses the Footprint

A key highlight of the public day was the launch of the Ecological Footprint
Standards. After almost a year of research, writing, public review and comment, the 34 page document is now officially released.
Simon Upton, Chair, OECD Roundtable on Sustainable Development opened the launch with a keynote that emphasized the relevance of the Ecological Footprint for national policy.

Domenico Andreis, Director of the Certification and Industry Division of RINA Industry, spoke about the value of standards as a way to ensure quality, consistency and widespread adoption of the Ecological Footprint. Other speakers included Ecological Footprint co-creator Mathis Wackernagel, Chris Hails, WWF, Gorm Dige of the European Environment Agency, and many more.

Greg Scarborough, BC
Hydro, at Ecological
Footprint training

On the final day of Footprint Forum 2006, Global Footprint Network hosted a training of almost one hundred people. We hope that this training will allow the next wave of Footprint users to play a more informed and effective role in helping make ecological limits central to decision-making everywhere.

Plans for the next
Footprint conference, to be held in Cardiff, Wales, are already in the works for May 2007.